Counting Crows

Chip McFlennigan
Chip McFlennigan Posts: 1,162
edited February 2011 in Other Music
Along with PJ and Alice in Chains, the Crows were in my holy trinity of favorite bands growing up.

Today, they suck ass.

Why?
I knew it all along, see?
Post edited by Unknown User on
«13

Comments

  • Drop1The0Leash
    Drop1The0Leash Posts: 954
    They aren't a very good live band and thats being nice. I would never pay to go see them. I don't even think I would go if I was given a ticket for free
    2006: Albany
    2008: MSG I, MSG II, Newark(EV)
    2009: Albany 1-2(EV), Philly 3
    2010: Boston, MSG I
    2013: Buffalo, Brooklyn II, Hartford
    2016: MSG 1, MSG II, Fenway 1
  • jim.barry
    jim.barry Posts: 41
    If you want a great live experience, skip the counting crows and go see the Black Crowes . By far one of the best bands out and touring today
    Little Tremors
  • sarah.p
    sarah.p Posts: 200
    I don't know why

    Counting Crows are a great band. I agree their new stuff doesn't quite match their early albums but I still think its ok - but nothing will beat their first album.

    I've seen them live twice and wasn't disappointed.
  • jales22
    jales22 Posts: 120
    i've seen them twice live and they were amazing..i'm going again in a couple weeks...

    i love every album as well...recovering the satellites is probably my favorite though.

    they are like PJ in the fact that they have a big group of fans basically wherever they play...lots of hard core fans as well..

    what don't u like about new albums and/or the live shows???
    www.VirginMaryPistolGrip.com
  • philthehip
    philthehip Posts: 2,084
    I love pretty much every album and the truth in my eyes is that they suck live :(
  • markymark550
    markymark550 Columbia, SC Posts: 5,224
    To me, they are one of those bands where every song sounds the same and because of this every album is seemingly not as good as previous albums. Granted, I haven't heard every song of theirs.....just the overall impression I get from them.

    It's funny to type that out since I know a lot of people who feel the same way about Pearl Jam.....
  • Chip McFlennigan
    Chip McFlennigan Posts: 1,162
    jales22 wrote:
    i've seen them twice live and they were amazing..i'm going again in a couple weeks...

    i love every album as well...recovering the satellites is probably my favorite though.

    they are like PJ in the fact that they have a big group of fans basically wherever they play...lots of hard core fans as well..

    what don't u like about new albums and/or the live shows???

    Well, they were an awesome live band back in the day. Their recent tours have sucked though, as they've become complacent and are now literally sharing the stage with rappers and other bands and singing their songs as well. I don't wanna buy a Counting Crows ticket to see their bassist do five songs while some dude raps, and then see Augustana sing the bridge to Mr. Jones.

    Also, their last two albums were far inferior to Recovering the Satellites, and their other two early albums. Ugh.
    I knew it all along, see?
  • Yellow Ledbelly
    Yellow Ledbelly Posts: 3,749
    jim.barry wrote:
    If you want a great live experience, skip the counting crows and go see the Black Crowes . By far one of the best bands out and touring today
    Excellent first post and so very true. Welcome by the way.

    As for the other Crows....I still contend that 'August and Everything After' is a masterpiece, but the kool-aid wasn't strong enough for me even with the second album...which was still pretty damn solid.
    I can't comment on their virtues as a live band for I have not seen them, but I think the overall quality of their work has lagged simply because they far outreached themselves with August....I think maybe that album was simply a fluke. Well, maybe not a fluke, but maybe they just weren't made for the long haul.
    All I have to do is revel in the everyday....then do it again tomorrow

    They say every sin is deadly but I believe they may be wrong...I'm guilty of all seven and I don't feel too bad at all
  • Chip McFlennigan
    Chip McFlennigan Posts: 1,162
    August was pretty amazing but, I think Recovering was superior simply because it was a lot more raw and a lot more hopeless, even in juxtaposition to its theme.
    I knew it all along, see?
  • dcfaithful
    dcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    jim.barry wrote:
    If you want a great live experience, skip the counting crows and go see the Black Crowes . By far one of the best bands out and touring today


    God damn right. I'm seeing the Crowes 3 times this year, and I expect...and will be delivered greatness.

    Counting Crows? I have a friend who is a major fan. I've watched their live videos and am bummed that Adam rarely sings it the way it's recorded, but whatever..

    August and Everything After is an incredible album though...
    7/2/06 - Denver, CO
    6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
    8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
    9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
    9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
    9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
  • Chip McFlennigan
    Chip McFlennigan Posts: 1,162
    August was pretty groundbreaking. It didn't sound like anything else at the time, either.
    I knew it all along, see?
  • gabers
    gabers Posts: 2,787
    I saw the Counting Crows maybe six years ago opening for John Mayer when John Mayer was still a pop star for 14 year old girls. I agree with their live show being fairly sucky. They played the most lackluster version of Rain King imaginable. I mean, Rain King was one of their most uplifting songs (despite the name) from their early albums, and Adam sang it like Eyore. What a disappointment.

    But I do think their newest album was a return to form. It wasn't as good as their first two albums but at least they returned to more of a rockin' sound than that pop they'd been making recently.
  • Chip McFlennigan
    Chip McFlennigan Posts: 1,162
    gabers wrote:
    I saw the Counting Crows maybe six years ago opening for John Mayer when John Mayer was still a pop star for 14 year old girls. I agree with their live show being fairly sucky. They played the most lackluster version of Rain King imaginable. I mean, Rain King was one of their most uplifting songs (despite the name) from their early albums, and Adam sang it like Eyore. What a disappointment.

    But I do think their newest album was a return to form. It wasn't as good as their first two albums but at least they returned to more of a rockin' sound than that pop they'd been making recently.

    They left a song off their last album that should've made it onto the album proper, or at least been released as a b-side. Instead, it's sitting around in some studio somewhere, collecting dust. The song is called Suffocate, and it's an incredible song that they played live once. They recorded it for the last album, and then didn't release it. Not even as a bonus track. Huge disappointment.
    I knew it all along, see?
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    Probably the most frustrating live band around, Adam Duritz would do well to go back and listen to their records and re-learn the vocal melodies. I saw them live a few years back and he basically changed every melody, to the point that it prety much killed any sing-alongs. Now I'm all for a bit of improvisation, but he sounded more drunk and incoherent. Here is Mr Jones from the show I was at, fucking woeful:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8rjGB3lR7s
  • Indifference71
    Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,914
    facepollution wrote:
    Probably the most frustrating live band around, Adam Duritz would do well to go back and listen to their records and re-learn the vocal melodies. I saw them live a few years back and he basically changed every melody, to the point that it prety much killed any sing-alongs. Now I'm all for a bit of improvisation, but he sounded more drunk and incoherent. Here is Mr Jones from the show I was at, fucking woeful:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8rjGB3lR7s

    Completely agree with you here. He takes the improvisation to a new level and ruins many of their songs when peformed live.
  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,396
    johnny america wrote:
    Along with PJ and Alice in Chains, the Crows were in my holy trinity of favorite bands growing up.

    Today, they suck ass.

    Why?
    i don't agree they suck ass now. sat. nights, sun. mornings is a pretty solid record (esp. the faster stuff).

    I've seen them twice and they kicked ass both times :mrgreen: altho i've also heard from many folks who got shit shows. :cry:
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
    Missoula 24
  • gabers
    gabers Posts: 2,787
    facepollution wrote:
    Probably the most frustrating live band around, Adam Duritz would do well to go back and listen to their records and re-learn the vocal melodies. I saw them live a few years back and he basically changed every melody, to the point that it prety much killed any sing-alongs. Now I'm all for a bit of improvisation, but he sounded more drunk and incoherent. Here is Mr Jones from the show I was at, fucking woeful:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8rjGB3lR7s

    Ha, the crowd was basically taking over the singing at the end there. It's such a great song to sing along to and he tries to be cute the whole time.

    Here's more or less how they played Rain King. Ugh.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu9rtD7KKBI
  • Indifference71
    Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,914
    imalive wrote:
    johnny america wrote:
    Along with PJ and Alice in Chains, the Crows were in my holy trinity of favorite bands growing up.

    Today, they suck ass.

    Why?
    i don't agree they suck ass now. sat. nights, sun. mornings is a pretty solid record (esp. the faster stuff).

    I've seen them twice and they kicked ass both times :mrgreen: altho i've also heard from many folks who got shit shows. :cry:


    Sat nights and sun mornings is a very good album.

    I've seen them twice. Once it was great, the other time sucked. Kinda hard to judge based on that.
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    gabers wrote:
    Ha, the crowd was basically taking over the singing at the end there. It's such a great song to sing along to and he tries to be cute the whole time.

    Here's more or less how they played Rain King. Ugh.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu9rtD7KKBI

    Yeah there really is no need to stretch Rain King out over nearly eight minutes!

    I don't know if he's just plain arrogant or what, but changing the songs up that much isn't much fun for the audience. Obviously it works better on some songs than others, for example, there is an amazing version of Round Here on the b-side to Angels Of The Silences where he really adds to the song. I think you can get away with it on a more drawn out kind of song, but when it's essentially a 3-4 minute pop song like Mr.Jones it just doesn't work, what should be a triumphant sing-along moment just falls flat and leaves people disappointed.
  • facepollution
    facepollution Posts: 6,834
    I must however agree, I thought their last record was solid. I loved the songs Washington Square and Le Ballet d'Or

Categories